Monday, 7 April 2014

Indo Chinese Recipes Biography
Source(google.com.pk)Pepes is the Indonesian dish of any meat, mostly seafood, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. I usually grilled the pepes, the burnt banana leaves just give it a better texture. Any kind of fish can be used, mackerel is always a better choice since the flesh flaked just nicely after grilling.Indonesian version of salad is the one happily drenched with peanut sauce. The sauce should be thick, crunchy, sweet and spicy. There are basically more than ten type of salad using peanut sauce, so even if they all look and sound the same, they taste differently, according to some picky eaters.The famous gado-gado salad, one which can be found in many Indonesian restaurant here and abroad. This post is a re-post from the old one I did back in 2008 when food blogging was naiveIndonesian cuisine is diverse, in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 18,000 in the world's largest archipelago.Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon cultural and foreign influences.Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences.Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Additionally, Indonesia’s indigenous techniques and ingredients were influenced by India, the Middle East, China, and finally Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders brought New World produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of the archipelago. The Indonesian islands The Moluccas (Maluku), which are famed as "the Spice Islands", also contributed to the introduction of native spices, such as cloves and nutmeg, to Indonesian and global cuisine. Five main Indonesian cooking methods are goreng (frying), bakar or panggang (grilling), tumis (stir frying), rebus (boiling) and kukus (steaming).Some popular Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng,gado-gado,sate,and soto are ubiquitous in the country and considered as Indonesian national dishes.Indian cuisine is known for its vibrant mix of spices and seasonings, and big, bold flavors. Over the years, some Indian cuisine has become fused with Chinese culture and cuisine, creating what is known as "Indian Chinese" cuisine. Many popular dishes are sold at food stalls and other restaurants, one of the most popular being Chicken Manchurian.What is Indian Chinese Cuisine?Developed by a small Chinese community that has called Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) home for over 100 years, Indian Chinese cuisine features cooking techniques and seasonings typically found in Chinese cuisine. These techniques and seasonings have been altered to appeal to the local Indian tastes.Chinese food is quite easily adaptable and that is why its influences are evident in so many other types of cuisine. It is even adapted within the Chinese culture -- one example is the Sichuan style food found in Taiwan. Taiwanese palates cannot handle the extreme spice found in Sichuan province food so the amount of heat is greatly reduced from what you find on the mainland.While Chicken Manchurian is definitely one of the undisputed favorite types of Indian Chinese cuisine, there are a number of other dishes you are likely to find during your travels in India. Chopsuey and Chowmein are two popular noodle dishes that have become a staple for many in India. Chicken is obviously a well-utilized ingredient since Indians do not consume beef. Look for dishes like sweet and sour chicken, Hunan, and Hong Kong style chicken as well.The history of Chinese food is a complicated buffet of regional cuisines and world influence.While the Chinese have been visiting India for millennia in search of Buddhist teachings, Yang Tai Chow was the first recorded Chinese to migrate to India for better material prospects. In 1778 he put down roots in Kolkata, or Calcutta, the then capital of British India and the easiest accessible metropolitan area from China by land.Over the years, many like him came, mostly Hakkas, and by the early part of the 20th century a Chinatown had developed in Kolkata and it thrived and buzzed with enterprise. Chinese served with distinction as dentists, tannery owners, sauce manufacturers, beauticians and shoe shop owners but it was as restaurateurs that the Chinese found their fame and glory in India. Indian Chinese foodPhotographed on a street in Kolkata, last year.As all immigrant communities tend to do, the Chinese assimilated Indian sensibilities and beliefs. They even acknowledged one of our goddesses, Kali, as their own, and offered noodles, chop suey, rice and vegetable dishes in rituals as a sign of unity. And so it was with food that the Sino-Indian cultural fusion began.About 85 years ago, the Indian culinary world was affected by a new cuisine. The first Indo Chinese restaurant Eau Chew opened in Kolkata.Presumably hordes came out satiated and impressed, beaming their approval to the next lot of people who hadn’t tried this new fangled cuisine of foreign origin, yet spicy and tasty like their own.New restaurants mushroomed all over Kolkata, and legends like Fat Mama and Kim Fa were born, offering newer dishes with fancier combinations and names like August Moon Rolls and Fiery Dragon Chicken. Before you knew it 'Indian Chinese' had tickled the taste buds of folk in every small town and city across India. No small feat for a foreign cuisine.Indian Chinese food wasn’t just served by restaurants big and small, but also by handcart owners, highway food stalls and mobile Chow Mein vans boasting imaginative names like Hungry Eyes and Dancing Stomach. Classic Mumbai street food now even has Chinese versions with 'Chinese bhel' and 'Sichuan dosa'.What is it that makes Chinese food so spectacularly popular? The answer lies with Indian food.Quick to figure out that Indians love spicy, oily preparations, the Chinese merely masala-fied and greased their cuisine into a glutinous, winning combination.Indian Chinese foodChicken Manchurian, the dish that led the way.Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) turned into Sichuan paneer with Chinese spices. Chicken curry was substituted with chili chicken. Aloo bhindi? Kung Pao potatoes with okra in a sweet and spicy tomato based dry sauce cured the craving and the curiousity. Pepper chicken reminded people of south Indian style fried chicken. Non-vegetarian pakoras (batter fried dumplings) chicken or lamb or prawn Manchurian, dry or gravy. And since there's usually at least one vegetarian in an Indian family Manchurian sauce was poured over gobi (cauliflower). To some, Gobi Manchurian is the outer limit of Indian-Chinese food friendship.